Summer Info
The upper section of the boardwalk course, which had been closed for repairs, reopened on 7/5 (Sun.), making it possible to reach the No. 2 Cairn without taking the steep ridge trail. Although the temperature was not especially high this morning, the muggy conditions had hikers around commenting on how hot they felt.
[Happo-One Nature Trail・Boardwalk Course]
The chishima-gikyo near the No. 3 Cairn (pictured), which were still budding during my visit on 7/4 (Sat.), produced two flowers on 7/8 (Wed.) and four on 7/9 (Thu.). Nearby, takane-bara remained at peak bloom. The clouds rose unusually early today, and although I boarded the first morning departure of the Happo Alpen Line, thick fog had enveloped Happo Pond by the time I arrived at around 10 a.m., hiding the Hakuba Sanzan peaks from view.
[Happo-One Nature Trail・No. 3 Cairn]
“This weather has a beautiful, almost mystical atmosphere of its own,” remarked a hiker I met at Happo Pond, and from somewhere beyond the thick fog I heard the cheerful voices of children echoing through the air. On the western side of Happo Pond, iwa-icho (pictured), with their distinctively shaped petals, had begun to bloom.
[Happo-One Nature Trail・Happo Pond]
While the Nikkokisuge and kobaikei-so at the Kamaike Marsh were nearing the end of their flowering season, those growing between the No. 2 Cairn and Happo Cairn, at elevations of around 2,000 to 2,040 meters, were now at their best. This is clearly an exceptional year for kobaikei-so. As I took photos, a passing hiker remarked, “It looks as though the hikers are walking through a field of flowers.”
[Happo-One Nature Trail・No. 2 Cairn to Happo Cairn]
＊Early-morning operations on the Happo Alpen Line and Kurobishi Line begin on 7/11 (Sat.)!
[Happo-One Nature Trail Opening Information]
*Period … 2026/5/30 (Sat.) & 5/31 (Sun.), 6/6 (Sat.) – 11/3 (Tue.)
*Hours … Happo Alpen Line (from 8:00; early‑morning service starts July 11). *The Kurobishi Line begins operation from July 1.
*Fees … Happo Alpine Line Roundtrip / Adults JPY3,500, Elementary School Students JPY2,300 → Advance Discount Tickets: Adults JPY3,200, Elementary School Students JPY2,000! (Skip the ticket window! Go straight to the gondola gate.)
